Golf Stretch 9 - Hip rotations (Video) - by Pete Styles
Golf Stretch 9 - Hip rotations (Video) - by Pete Styles

Here’s one area of physical inconsistency that I often see for golfers and it doesn't happen to golfers the whole time. It actually happens to them sometimes during the round of golf and it relates to the hip movement that people have. You'll often find that people when they start off their round of golf, unless they've warmed up correctly and hit balls into a net or hit balls in the driving range, they might feel quite stiff in the hips and they don't really get going to through the ball very quickly. Then during the middle part of the round when they're in their peak and their prime they're warmed up and they're not too tired they start to really drive the hips more athletically and turn through the ball better. But then often at the end of the round where they're getting a bit tired and a little bit lethargic, again the hip actions stops being so aggressive. This is often noted by golfer finishing too far on their back foot, sometimes hitting the ball fat or even hitting the top of the golf ball because they're not being dynamic enough with the hips.

What I want to encourage you to do is warm up your hips nicely before your round and then towards the back end of the round, if you're getting tired again, repeat this exercise just to make sure you can feel the right now range of motion. So take your golf club. Something like a 3-wood or a driver is fine. Place it out in front of you just for balance and then just sort of move your hips left to right, right to left which is the hip action that you're required during a golf swing and a little bit of forwards and backwards where you just keep the lower part of your spine nice and loosened up and then a little rotational movement as well, sort of little circles around all four corners around that way. Then when you set up to the golf ball, your hips will be free and easier to move in the right way. They'll actually feel a little bit more dynamic and able to move a bit quicker.

So if you're stiff in your hip area, try this out as a warm-up exercise or practice exercise but if you feel that during the round of golf your hips are slowing down and you're not being dynamic, if you're starting to get caught on your back foot and hitting the ball heavy, repeat the exercise during the round of golf and hopefully that will help your hip action stay consistent throughout your game.

 2012-09-19

Here’s one area of physical inconsistency that I often see for golfers and it doesn't happen to golfers the whole time. It actually happens to them sometimes during the round of golf and it relates to the hip movement that people have. You'll often find that people when they start off their round of golf, unless they've warmed up correctly and hit balls into a net or hit balls in the driving range, they might feel quite stiff in the hips and they don't really get going to through the ball very quickly. Then during the middle part of the round when they're in their peak and their prime they're warmed up and they're not too tired they start to really drive the hips more athletically and turn through the ball better. But then often at the end of the round where they're getting a bit tired and a little bit lethargic, again the hip actions stops being so aggressive. This is often noted by golfer finishing too far on their back foot, sometimes hitting the ball fat or even hitting the top of the golf ball because they're not being dynamic enough with the hips.

What I want to encourage you to do is warm up your hips nicely before your round and then towards the back end of the round, if you're getting tired again, repeat this exercise just to make sure you can feel the right now range of motion. So take your golf club. Something like a 3-wood or a driver is fine. Place it out in front of you just for balance and then just sort of move your hips left to right, right to left which is the hip action that you're required during a golf swing and a little bit of forwards and backwards where you just keep the lower part of your spine nice and loosened up and then a little rotational movement as well, sort of little circles around all four corners around that way. Then when you set up to the golf ball, your hips will be free and easier to move in the right way. They'll actually feel a little bit more dynamic and able to move a bit quicker.

So if you're stiff in your hip area, try this out as a warm-up exercise or practice exercise but if you feel that during the round of golf your hips are slowing down and you're not being dynamic, if you're starting to get caught on your back foot and hitting the ball heavy, repeat the exercise during the round of golf and hopefully that will help your hip action stay consistent throughout your game.